1 Samuel – 2 Samuel 7

Dear God, I want to map out what I’m planning for the 10 weeks of Bible study for the Christian Men’s Life Skills class I’m helping with. I’m 90% sure I want to do a cohesive arc of Samuel, Saul, Jonathan, and David, although I think Samuel will only be there as the thread between the the other three, so we will really start with him recruiting Saul. First, however, I want to look at the themes for each of the 10 weeks as determined by the overall class leader for Monday nights:

• Self-Esteem
• Values
• Vision
• Ego
• Motivation
• Leadership Attributes
• Work Place Survey
• There is No More Time
• Work Ethic
• Work Ethic

With out there, I want to see how I would break up 10 weeks of 1 Samuel and see if there is a way the Venn Diagram matches up when I lay them over each other:

• Samuel Recruits and Coronates Saul
• Saul and Jonathan (Jonathan’s curse)
• Saul’s Failure
• David and Goliath
• Saul’s Jealousy of David Part 1, Jonathan’s (humility and friendship)
• Saul’s Jealousy of David Part 2, David’s Response (Mercy)
• David in Exile
• Saul’s and Jonathan’s Deaths and David’s Ascent
• David Consolidates the Kingdom
• David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem & God’s Promise to David

This might actually work. Here they are laid over each other:

• Self-Esteem: Samuel Recruits and Coronates Saul
• Values: Saul and Jonathan (Jonathan’s curse)
• Vision: Saul’s Failure
• Ego: David and Goliath
• Motivation: Saul’s Jealousy of David Part 1, Jonathan’s (humility and friendship)
• Leadership Attributes: Saul’s Jealousy of David Part 2, David’s Response (Mercy)
• Workplace Survey: David in Exile
• There is no more Time: Saul’s and Jonathan’s Deaths and David’s Ascent
• Work Ethic: David Consolidates the Kingdom
• Work Ethic: David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem & God’s Promise to David

Father, thank you for walking me through this over the last 24 hours. I’m feeling better. I still have a lot of work to do for each lesson, but at least now I feel like I have an idea of where I’m going. Now be with me as I prayerfully visit with the teaching leader today. Help me to hear him and his counsel. He has done this a lot more than me, and he might have legitimate problems with what I’ve done here. Help me to not be stubborn or defensive, but to be teachable. This isn’t about my ego. This is about blessing these men…being your blessing to these men. Being your hands and feet. Being your voice. Oh, Lord, be glorified in all of this so that your kingdom will come and your will will be done on earth as it is in heaven through this work and these men.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen